But Always Fine Bourbon : Pappy Van Winkle and the Story of Old Fitzgerald Hardcover – Big Book, December 14, 1999

This book took almost a month to arrive. I don't believe this was the seller's fault and their communications with me were reassuring. The Post Office has experienced challenging times over the past year. When it did arrive, it was brand new and well packaged. I had a Christmas card delivered from less than 200 miles away and it was post marked 24 days earlier. Great chronicle of the Van Winkle family. If you like bourbon, you will enjoy this book.

I ordered this as a birthday gift for a friend and he absolutely loved it. He was surprised that I remembered the brand of Bourbon he loved, and the book was a wonderful surprise.

Story tells the history of several labels of bourbon all still highly thought of. Tell the struggles and hard work that went into keeping the legacy alive.

Fun and informative read about about an American whiskey giant.

My interest in the Van Winkle family is not due to my access to their fine whisky, nor having any connection with Kentucky. I met a dog while walking in my Florida community named Pappy and asked if he was named after the whisky. To my surprise the lovely lady who owned him said “why yes, that is our family name”. And so I decided to learn more about the famous family and the whisky that bore their name. This book did not disappoint. It is an easy read, focused and full of family stories and lore. I quite enjoyed the parts about hard times and good times. There is no bragging involved, only a wonderful story of three generations (four if you get all the way to the end) of a fine old American family with a love of tradition and each other. Well done Sally and thanks for sharing your story.

The author, Sally Van Winkle Campbell, tells the story of her grandfather Pappy Van Winkle, the Van Winkle family and the Stitzel-Weller Distillery based on her personal memories and family stories. She tells the story from the perspective of someone that was on the inside. It is very entertaining and provides a lot of insight into the bourbon business during her grandfather’s and father’s time as well as the famous Van Winkle family and their impact on the bourbon business. I enjoyed reading this book very much and will probably sit down with it again in the not too distant future.

What is the best thing about tasting a Dusty Bourbon? It is tasting the past and being part of it. For those of you who who have entered into the Dusty world of Bourbon and have found Stizel-Weller, this is a must read. This is a comprehensive story of not only the Van Winkle family but also the history of the Stizel-Weller Distillery. The story is written by Sally Van Winkle Campbell, the daughter of Pappy VanWinkle. There is a reason for the Nostalgia this place brings and why this and Lawrenceburg's VanWinkle distillery are so revered in the bourbon world. This is a MUST READ.

Biography comes in two basic flavors. A good biographer embeds his subject in the times and uses the life to illustrate history. A not-so-good biographer, frequently a family member and descendant of the subject, strings together a series of fondly remember anecdotes and episodes which may make some people feel warm and fuzzy, but don't illuminate much beyond the person portrayed.Sally Van Winkle Campbell certainly attempts the former, but all too often slips over the edge into the latter. For readers who have the patience to slog through quite a bit of stuff about the Van Winkle family life unrelated to Bourbon and not particularly interesting in terms of general social history either, this is the definite history of Stitzel-Weller. It's not technical, it's not written for whiskey nerds, but it's very informative about the whiskey business and Van Winkle's role in it. Because of all the chaff, it's just not that much fun to read. I really just don't care much about the pony or the swimming pool.

i really felt I was getting to know the Van Winkle family and their business. A great book for the Bourbon enthusiast., beautifully and sympathetically written